


She was special

by Selwyn111



Category: Dishonored (Video Game)
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-20
Updated: 2016-04-20
Packaged: 2018-06-03 10:09:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6606871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Selwyn111/pseuds/Selwyn111
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jessamine meets the outsider at the time of her death.</p>
            </blockquote>





	She was special

Jessamine feels the blade slip out of her blood spills from her wound. She crumples to the ground hears Emily's scream and another dull thud she feels cold, hands grab her. She focuses closely and sees her royal protector, Corvo. 

"Corvo, you'll protect Emily. You're the only one won't you." 

An angry cut has his lip bust open, and tears stream down his face. His lips moved wordlessly, and he brings her closer with one hand behind her. 

She feels pressure on the wound and knows he wants her to continue living. She was always the pragmatic one, Corvo trusted fully and now he still tries. 

"Corvo." She says wanting to say more, to say I love you one last time, her strength fails her world goes black. Darkness slowly seeps through her vision, the sun looks like it has set, patterns filter under her eyelids, shapes form. She tries to make them more clear, but the effort is in vain, light returns a dull sensation a feeling long deprived yet moments ago.

"You're right the Empress was different." The voice rings out with clarity through the space. 

Jessamine opens her eyes a clean blue sky and the sight of her memorial stone greet her eyes. The pavilion stands, her family’s tomb, she sees all the stones, her fathers and mothers. Her stone juts out, it was not chosen with love, a vulgar choice still in the family colors and format, it could be her but it just seemed wrong.

She stands up slowly and feels the blood, her blood, sticking to the ground and her clothes disappearing in wisps of black smoke after some time. She stands in the silence and the orchestra of noise fills her ear. 

Calls from watch officers, cries of sorrow, and angry shouts about their allies the Serkonians. Horses hooves slowly progressing over cobblestones and wheels following, small sounds of falling around her feet as she backs away from the graves. 

"Interesting isn't it? You are special to so many, but soon you will be just like so many before you." the voice travels around her it sets itself on a spot and then the blue changes.

A man appears formed from the darkness swirling around him, brown hair, eyes pitch black. He uncrosses his arms letting them hang at his side, his coat cuffs and high collar. He waits while she stares at him waiting until she has finished her inspection. 

"You are in my home Empress Jessamine Kaldwin, former Empress. I am the Outsider." His mouth moves deliberately slowly as if explaining something to a child. 

"Former?" Jessamine catches herself "So that man killed me?" the Outsider stares at her "You are, how can I be here. I did well in my time." She puts her hands out and waits for moments for forever waiting for an answer from him. 

"You are nothing to this but everything revolves around you, I see it now. I want you to know, that you are pivotal to everything to pass." He sinks through the air onto the ground angry lines snake through the ground and the swirls of darkness disappear from behind him. 

"If you are who you say you are then where is Emily?" Jessamine says 

The outsider lets out a small smirk. He nods his head and walks through the space a pathway appearing before him pulling floating objects from all directions. Jessamine is hesitant to follow but does so, after seeing that the path won't simply float away.

The blue is everywhere and the space is littered with the world she knew. Stones, paintings, ornate buildings or at least prices of them. 

She walks behind him by only a few paces. She can feel power spilling from him as he walks, he looks small, but could command the world if he wanted to. She sees spots from her life sprawling out before them, she takes a step out to the side and sees his face not moving from his destination on mind. 

She sees stills. Moments frozen from her life, the best moments from her life, also the worst. Her in her days of childhood, sitting with Delilah in the garden together hiding behind the rose bushes. Giggling seeing her father's royal protector pretending not to notice them. 

She smiles and looks away to see something she did not want to remember. She is sitting beside the bed curtains they are drawn, he father is beside her. Tears run down his face he is holding a small wrap of blankets in his arms an Overseer has their hands on his shoulder. It was before the funeral procession, she stops and stares for a second paying her respects to her mother and brother. 

"Is something wrong." He steps into the frame. 

It animates, she hears her soft crying and muffled cries of her father as the Overseer speaks to him. 

"I am sorry Jacob but we lost them both of them. I cannot express how sorry I am but we need to take the child to ensure their spirit will continue." Young overseer Thaddeus Campbell says removing the bundle and starting to walk away. 

"Stop this." She starts to walk away. Hearing her father go down to comfort her. 

She turns to see Corvo standing on the other side of the doorway. 

"I am so sorry Jess. I am so sorry." Jacob says to her younger form.

She remembers she asked him to leave her side for this. She remembers not hearing from him and his silent vigil over the room for the next few hours. Well into the morning, both of them walking out to see Corvo standing guard over the room signing for others to leave it to him. 

"Memories are tricky aren't they Jess." the Outsider appears before her darkness swirls again. 

"Don't call me that, that name died there. I knew I had to become the empress not continue to be a child hiding in behind the rose bushes with a friend." Jessamine says defying the god before her. 

She turns in her heel and continues walking, the Outsider follows and walks on the air beside her. She makes it what seems like a hundred feet and sees more stills approaching. 

"Fine play your games, but you will show me where Emily is after this correct?" She does not wait for an answer but she keeps walking towards the stills. 

She looks to the one on her left and recognizes her room hidden in the palace. One her father showed her when she was thirteen, but she was much older now. 

A plain room with a stocking shelf and a desk, even the fireplace didn't work that was the trick. An audiograph sitting on the desk next to a decanter and a glass. 

She was surprised the first time Corvo found his way in. She knew she should have expected it sooner or later but, this was her room away from all the politics. 

She smiled at the two of them, hidden from the world. Caught kissing in a closet room. 

She blushes and turns around. 

This last still is farther away. 

"Emily" She breaths out. She starts to run towards the still.

Emily being held by a few men sitting on a bed in the center looking at them. Tears made the top of her shirt wet her eyes looking so angry and so dry. There are no more tears to be shed today, her knees close to her chest and her arms brought around them. 

The masks, the men who came and killed her. 

"She is safe here but will not be here long. She brings them pain, they don't like that particularly." He says walking towards the scene. 

Like the last one it animates again. 

"Why did you do that." 

She hears her daughter say over and over. 

The scene is repeated again and again, it is only a few seconds but it hurts. She sees the men move around small shuffling at the broken words and the last muffled breath. Blinking to their starting position to shuffle again. 

The bed was pulled out and clean windows and a bookcase she sees the floor below. The red outfit he is standing by a table crossing an "X" out on a piece of paper with her face on it. He has his blade and crossbow drawn on the table. He has a pack of cheap cigarettes open beside him and his back is turned. 

"He may feel guilt, he may not, but something broke when he shoved that blade into your heart." the Outsider says as he walks down the stairs and the top floor disappears slowly fading into the void. 

"Mercy, or sanity. I won't even be able to tell." He stops and stares at her. 

She stops and stares at the man crossing out her face over and over. 

"Do you expect me to forgive him? What do you want me to do, you know what will happen. Tell me what to do." She says, for the first time in a while she is at a loss. 

He walks toward her across the expanse, and stands besides her on the walkway. 

"Fear is unbecoming of an Empress, but understandable. Would you like some closure?" 

"Yes," 

"Walk again. You heard it before, and now, you will want to hear it." He takes her hand as he speaks. 

The noise returns, cries of sorrow and muffled curses. The sound of hooves moving slowly over the cobblestones, and the sound of all the city in attendance. 

He leads her down the path and the void changes to something familiar, a funeral progression. 

She sees the cyan blue colors and her family's insignia on the black open coach, moving towards her. 

She sees Hirram Burrows and Thaddeus Campbell sitting beside the royal guard in the front bench, one on each side. 

She walks beside the stagecoach and peers in expecting to see someone, it's empty. No Emily, no Corvo, no one showed. 

She halts and sees the casket, herself covered in makeup eyes closed. A faint smell rots through the air, the throng of people throwing flowers and weeping is too much. 

It stops. Everything in the world stops, it ran on too long, it was too much. 

"Funny is it not? Seeing yourself looking so peaceful, no stress. A body at my mercy, you hear them say it. Outsider's eyes it is her, she really is dead by the Outsider. Do you hear them?" He appears at the top of the empty coach and looks down on her. 

"I hear the sorrow of my people. I see that my time should be over but here I am. Why is that?" 

"You are special you are a pinnacle, touched by almost all of my special ones. But one will need more help than others, they just need a push to bring great things." He appears beside her walking down the street away from the progression. 

"Who do you mean? Special ones. Men like the one in red? Killers." 

"Not all of them mean to kill." The Outsider turns back and beckons her. 

She is not used to being ordered around even if not verbally. Meetings and appointments, to deal with rising problems within the city, but she knew she was constrained to laws of society. She followed without complaint. 

"Now we need to be quiet and you need to watch only." The outsider says

Jessamine nods and moves forwards, closer to the Outsider. He looks at her and grabs her hand and shushes her with the other, he starts to fade from sight. An expression of terror comes over her as she feels herself being pulled through the void. 

She stumbles almost falling but then realizing she is floating. She sees a corner block of a jail cell and a ragged and beat man sitting on the bench. She looks around and pulls herself into the Outsider when she sees a guard pass. 

The Outsider places his hand on her shoulder and moves into the cell. He left her alone and the world, one where she didn't belong. A chill runs through her and the world runs and the void tries to pull her back, she forces herself to stay in this world. 

She sees the Outsider talking to the man in the cell she has missed some of the words but the world still is muffled like she is trying to hear from another room. 

"hand fate has dealt you, the beloved-" 

She cups her hands to her ears as the next few words were silent. 

"thinks you killed her, but we know what really happened don't we," 

The man in the cell nods his hair covering his face, but he looks up and an old cut on his lips is shown. He looks up and his face blurs, Jessamine moves closer to the bars to try and gain focus on his face. 

"you don't want your life to end to the sounding idiots cheering as your head hits the muck do you?" 

She sees the face the lips, the dark brows and eyes, the look of sadness, etched onto his face. She knows that face, she tries to reach through the bars ignoring what the Outsider said and yells out. 

"Corvo! Corvo, I am here, Emily is being held. Why are-" her voice was cut off. The outsider appears beside her grabbing her mouth covering it and, looking back to Corvo on the bench. 

"Let's see if we can do better. You will be seeing me in days to come." he turns back to Jessamine. 

"Men bring Corvo, we need him to confess." Hirram Burrows voice rings out and the word confess echoes back to the void. 

"I thought I told you to he quiet. You could have stayed longer, but he heard the whispers from you and so did the guards. You made it more painful for him." he floats back letting her be caught in place. 

"You expected me to stay quiet after seeing the injustice they are committing to him. You hinted at it yourself, you. Wait what are they going to do to him, he will stand up for what is right in the world." Jessamine says while holding her spot in the void refusing to move. 

"Who says he can do right in this world?" 

"I know he can do well." 

"Even if he was to break? Even if he was to find a way out of Coldridge, he already lost you." 

Jessamine is quiet for a moment before answering. 

"He has to do right, he has to get to Emily being held by some strange man god knows where." 

The Outsider mirrors her pause. 

"I know where, and you are smart Jessamine I'm very sure you can figure it out too. Want to see their fate's?" 

Jessamine only stares at him for a moment. The Outsider waves his hand forming another path beneath their feet, he bows his head smirks and points his hand out to the path. 

Jessamine walks by him, past his outstretched hand waiting for another set of stills to appear. She didn't hear his footsteps, but she did feel one of his hands grab her arm and the other grab across her face preventing her from speaking. 

They keep in this pose as he makes her walk a few more feet, she tries to get out of his grip but feels the walkway disappear beneath her. She sees a window starting to appear before her, an old memory, she sees the river, near the golden cat, and hears a whisper in her ear. 

"If you are not quiet this time there will be no more visits. I am going to remove my hand nod if you understand that you will be quiet." 

Jessamine nods hearing the Outsiders voice clearly while the rest of the world blurs, she nods as much in agreement as she can. She takes in a breath and can feel the stench from the river permeate her nose. She reaches out to the window and feels grime from neglect, she hear familiar voices. Just as tones and sound no distinct words. 

She looks inside the window at the small room. A cabinet, bed, desk, and a set of lockers. Bed was a generous term it was a mattress on the ground, but there was a girl lying on the mattress. He back is to them while she sleeps. 

Dark hair and closed eyes, not much for clothes and fine with the conditions like she had been there a few years. 

"This is delicate so do make any noise."

She sleeps through the window opening and the pair slip into the room. She sees the girl holding a doll with a purple dress on it. Holding on to it like it is the last bit of innocence for the girl, the last reminder that she was a girl. That this was not always her life. 

"Do not worry that is not Emily. Not that much time has passed."

Jessamine closes her eyes, and silently thanks him for keeping Emily away from this fate. 

They stay in the room for a moment, Jessamine moves closer to the door noticing the peephole and looks through. She sees part of a red uniform walk through the hallway followed by the look of aristocracy. 

Another moment passes and then the Outsider places his hand on the lock and the slightest click can be heard. She gives one last glance to the sleeping girl and pushes on the door slowly. 

The door silently swings open, he leads her down to the next door and nods. Jessamine puts her face up to the peephole and sees a set of desks, a few mattresses, blinds that have been bolted shut and sitting in the corner Emily. 

In front of Emily is a small tray with some food and a book with the brand from the Abbey of the Everyman on the cover. She sees Emily looking at the closed window singing to herself, slowly and solemnly. 

"Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me. Happy birthday happy birthday, happy birthday to me." 

Jessamine can feel tears stream down her face. Her daughter is alone on her birthday being held in the golden cat. 

She looks at the Outsider and nods her head she has seen enough. She wants to comfort her daughter but knows that he will not allow it. The Outsider lets her go and motions for her to stay where she is. 

She sees him start to walk towards Emily, things start to blur. He moves past her and touches the bound window, a crack can be heard and the bolt on the side of the window drops down. 

She sees the void again she stands part of the golden cat the balcony from the front. He walks out of the doors and stands beside her. 

"You are cruel, you know that, right? You show me my daughter, alone on her birthday sitting in some brothel. What happens if she can't get out? Will she end up like the girl in the other room. She is supposed to be an Empress but she just became a pawn in the games of those wretched men." Her voice has a tone of hatred. 

"I know of a way you can help her, Corvo too." 

"What is it?" 

"You surrender to me. I know what I was going to offer Corvo, but you could help him guide him. I might have called you special but he is interesting, I want to see something but I have no sway, and some others of mine do what they please, they grew boring. Do you want to save Emily? Lady Jessamine." 

"Whatever it is. I will do it." Jessamine's voice is resolute. 

"That is good to hear. I have been helping a friend and now he can help me in return." He waves his hand

Jessamine sees a building come into focus. She finds herself standing close to the river, and a pub. The iron door is pulled up mostly a man in an admiral uniform standing over a hunched man sitting at his desk. 

The uniformed man starts to put his head down and walks away. The pair move closer to the hunched man sitting, he does not notice their presence. 

The Outsider walks right up to the man looking over his shoulder, the hunched man places his head on the desk and starts to nod off to oblivion of sleep. He moves closer and places his left hand onto the small of his back, the man twitches on the desk his face screws up as if now in a nightmare. 

"Now is your chance to help them." He looks to her

"I will always try to help my people, especially those close to me." 

The Outsider raises his right hand and Jessamine feels herself start to move closer to the table. Each step is not forced she wants to move closer but she feels danger from him she realizes she is compelled to move towards him. 

"What are you going to do?" She says trying to lean back

"I am going to mould you to be perfect at helping all of those who need it." He says his black eyes flaring becoming a single uniform black. 

Jessamine is pulled to the table she sees the face of the hunched man, his glasses fell off and his eyes opened to show the black pupils. The Outsider pulls Jessamine closer and the hunched man mimics the action pulling a cage onto the table. 

His face unscrews and his eyes clear for a moment, as the Outsider disappears for a moment. He stumbles for a moment shaking his head from side to side, he focuses on the woman sitting on his desk. 

"Empress, no no no this must be from my sleeping mind." The man starts to try to stand 

The Outsider appears behind him grabbing him by the neck, the man's eyes go black and a look of shock passes through the man. 

"Perio it is just another visit but this time I am giving you a proper job. Your employers should be pleased you are working for them still." 

Both of them go to the table. The outsider places a red mass on the table in front of Pierro. 

"What is that?" Jessamine asks 

She feels pain start to erupt through her chest. She feels nothing in her chest she knows the next words that the pair will say. 

"It will be the heart of a living thing." 

The pair starts to tear away any limp flesh and tearing of bones. Jessamine nearly doubles over and feels the blood re-cover her outfit seeping through the cloth, she places her hand and feels the blood seep through her fingers dripping and dissipating after a second. 

The table does not have the same effect thick dark blood congealed on the plate. After a few more cuts the heart is revealed. 

Pierro grabs a hold of Jessamine's wrist and drags her across the table and holds her close to the heart. 

"Don't resist Jessamine, you say you wanted to help here is your chance." The Outsider says putting his hand onto the heart and reaching for her with the other hand. 

"I am sorry, Empress." Piero says looking at her. 

Pieros hands move onto the heart grabbing metal parts small cogs and gears, forcing them into the center. The Outsiders hand rove over the heart forcing it to twitch and beat. The heart drains of the congealed blood but still retains a moisture, the gears start to move. 

"There is no turning back, we can keep your heart beating. We can keep you here, we will keep you here." They say it simultaneously. 

Pierro has tears streaming down his face while the Outsiders face smiles showing his intentions, he meant for this to happen. 

They grab her and force her hand, to grab the heart the gears light up, the shadows extinguish all other lights in the office.

A velvety darkness covers her, her skin she feels hot and cold the moment of life and death. Where the blade entered her and her first scream of life. Everything she has felt; love, loss, jurisdiction, joy, everything blends together. She feels a pull of the void, and a moment of disbelief. 

She closes her eyes and embraces her heart. The world fades and then lightens finally, it is a warm light nothing definable. She hears the sounds of the void roaming around her, nothing. 

No blue, no void, nothing. 

"I give you the heart of a living thing." A familiar voice rings out. 

She feels an embrace holding her close. A different light covers half of her moments of life come into contact with her. Stills, and moments blurred faces from their perspective, she feels a question coming from this person. Questions about where they are she speaks out finding the secrets of the void around her. 

"How can it be that I know such things." She whispers into the light. 

There is a pause flashes of life come here. She sees herself standing beside Emily holding a letter looking out over the river. 

"All of time is meaningless here, neither seconds or centuries." 

No verbal response she feels pressure and water a slight amount of water, a few drops like a leak on a faucet. She knows she has to help this one, she feels a connection and also a need to do the right thing. Like someone she loved.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, if you have any suggestions, I am still learning and I would like to make good content for all of you. Hope you also have a good day. :D


End file.
